Cummins Inc. has purchased 10.5 acres of vacant land near its Machine Integration Center south of Columbus in anticipation of potential future expansion.
The property, which the company bought from Force Holdings LLC for $709,800 on June 17, is located at W. County Road 450S in Woodside Northwest Industrial Park, just southeast of Cummins Inc.’s Machine Integration Center, according to property records.
"This land is adjacent to our new Machine Integration Center and will allow for potential future expansion of that site," said Katie Zarich, external communication manager for Cummins Inc.
Currently, there is no identified timetable for the potential expansion, Zarich said.
The land acquisition comes about 2.5 years after Cummins Inc. purchased the 10.8-acre property that would become its Machine Integration Center from Force Holdings LLC, which had constructed a shell building on the lot. The sale of that property was finalized Dec. 27, 2016, for $2.6 million.
The Machine Integration Center is used for testing and installing powertrains in customers’ machines, such as buses, trucks and wheel loaders, and ensuring that mechanical, electrical and other systems are performing optimally, Jennifer Rumsey, Cummins vice president and chief technical officer, told The Republic in September.
The facility supports global vehicle integration efforts for multiple business segments, including the Electrified Power Business, for on- and off-highway equipment. Cummins Inc. previously had several smaller pilot centers to do this kind of work, but the Machine Integration Center allows the company to put all that work under one roof, Rumsey told The Republic.
"The pilot center operation enables Cummins to integrate technologies into our customer products through product development and testing," Zarich said. "This integration process helps ensure product performance, quality and durability once the products are in production."
Founded 100 years ago, Cummins Inc. reported a record $23.8 billion in revenues last year, a 16% increase from the year before.
The company has made plans recently to expand its commitment to Columbus, including a $33 million investment to locate the future new headquarters of its new Electrified Power business segment at its Columbus Engine Plant, also known as Plant One, at 500 Central Ave.
